And... don't kid yourself completely... your hours and years in a clinic don't mean squat. Years of experience does not equate to "expert" or expertise in anything. What matters is how you grow, learn, self-reflect and continue to be curious and continue to try to do better. Monitoring your quality and changing/improving your quality is what matters.

I agree wholeheartedly. I have seen colleagues who have been PT's for 20 years who still treat like they did 20 years ago, while I, a relatively new PT, constantly think, challenge myself (and the system to a degree), evaluate, change and grow as a clinician. I'm not the best, but the built-in cynic I have makes me question everything and seek answers that may or may not be out there.

My main point is that I don't see the value or return on investment with a DPT. That outlook may change if I look at a terminal doctorate, though.

James Goodyear, President of the Pennsylvania Medical Society said that health care workers who have a non physician doctorate should tell patients what they do. He is quoted as saying "I am a physician. They are not. They trained for hundreds of hours. We trained for thousands of hours". How about that! Jim McGregor

Well, in light of the health care system here in the United States... and the crap health care... and the royalties and kickbacks... and the "physicians being gate keepers"... the system seems to be broken - even though it has been led by individuals trained for thousands of hours.

I just joined this forum the other day. I cannot help but to ask everyone involved in this post how each is feeling about this topic now that it is has been almost ten months since the last post.

I am biased, as I graduated with a DPT from Regis University in 2008. I believe in Vision 2020 and I believe that physical therapists should be direct-access, first line, musculoskeletal experts. I have had numerous interactions with therapists, with BsPT and MsPT degrees and DPT degrees. There are good therapists in all realms, please take this into account.What is most disheartening to me is the fact that the DPT degree, my degree, is beaten down by clinicians who assume their experience outweighs my new knowledge. I have to laugh when these same clinicians ( with 30 years of experience mind you) use craniosacral therapy as described by Upledger (really?) and have their patients do 3 sets of 20 repetitions for strength without ever attempting one rep max and without considering the evidence of what it takes to truly increase strength. What also disheartens me is that therapists beat down the DPT degree in front of students who are pursuing their DPT degree. Nothings says dis-unity in a profession more than this. I have had good experiences with therapists with years of experience and with BsPT or MsPT degrees too; those therapists have pursued active and evidence-based continuing education, residencies, and fellowships.

Just curious what you all think. I say lets unite as a profession, embrace evidenced-based practice no matter what the initials are behind your name, and pursue residency and fellowship in our post-graduate years. We all need to actively promote this profession and our expertise and help it grow. We all have our differences and biases; what is most important should be the future of PT.